Syton Temple
Background Syton Temple grew up outside Silkfield, the son of a widely-known (but barely tolerated) herbalist named Horim and his wife, Elnora, who was a midwife by trade. Horim was disliked for being an uncompromising and demanding codger, as well as a zealot of the Light. He thought that even the strictest, most militant in the old Church of the True Light were "soft" or were "coddling" the Touched. Lessening was too good for them, he thought. Elnora, on the other hand, was generous, understanding, and kind in all the ways that her husband was not. It was often a mystery around town, as to what the two of them were doing together in the first place. When Syton was very young, his mother died giving birth to another son. Two years later, his father was remarried to Bellis, a teacher. Like Elnora, Bellis was a kind and caring woman, and she was very popular around Silkfield, even if her husband was not. Though Bellis never had any children of her own, she took to Horim's, and was a very good mother to all three. Of Horim's three children, who were all boys, Syton was the youngest. His older brothers, Gilfird (Gil) and Passon (Pass), shared their father's temperament, if not his morals. They were known around Silkfield as a pair of horrific bullies and troublemakers. Consequently, Syton spent a good portion of his childhood avoiding his brothers, and his father, though all three gave him grief whenever they could. As a child, Syton was distant and flighty. When sent on even short errands, he would often stay gone for hours at a time. He had few friends and barely ever spoke, but he did not seem depressed or anxious; he was simply aloof. However, he became more social throughout his teens. The hazy, far-away Syton of his childhood was replaced with a friendly, open, caring young man who related well to others. Young Syton was bright and eager to learn, though he never picked up his family trade due to problems relating to his father. While most other young men were busy learning a trade, Syton was making friends, carrying on, and generally doing nothing of value. Late in the year 626, Syton decided that he had to get away from his home and do some traveling. With a generous gift from his step-mother, Syton set out into Fastheld. Over the next few months, he became a very successful textile merchant. Due to equal parts luck and skill, he developed an extensive network of suppliers and clients, and he was able to make a very nice living for himself. Overall, he is well-regarded in merchant circles, seen as a young, enterprising, honest young man with a good head for business. For reasons that are not entirely clear, Syton was part of an expedition to Crown's Refuge in early 627, chartered by then-Emperor Zolor Zahir. It is not known why he chose to go on such an expedition, nor what purpose he served. After the expedition, many of his business partners and acquaintances have noticed a change in Syton. For one, he has mostly ignored his mercantile business, which he has left in the hands of a clerk. More generally, people have noticed that he is not as optimistic or good-natured as he used to be. He often looks tired or stressed, and he has lost his temper on more than one occasion. Some attribute this change in personality to the death of Syton's father, who died of a chronic illness while Syton was away on the expedition. Syton is known to have an eclectic collection of friends and acquaintances. He is known to be on close terms with fellow Freelander and Leatherworker Guildmistress Alainne Woodsong. Syton is frequently seen with members of the nobility, as well, particularly Celeste Mikin, and Milora Lomasa. Some gossip lingers about his relationship with Celeste, which some see as inappropriately familiar. Syton has also been criticized for his friendship with a Marked Mage, Kael Firelight. Currently, Syton seems to have no career and no major place of residence. He is somewhat of a wanderer and a loner, never lingering in one place for too long. He often comes or goes without explaining himself, and he frequently disappears for long periods of time. Badges JTS Faction Point Value of Badges 3 Category: Chiaroscuro Characters category:Book of the White Tree category:Pages with Badges category:Kael Firelight Web Category:Thayndor_Zahir_Web